Saturday, 26 April 2014

Southwestern stuffed spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash is one of those odd vegetables that appear on blogs often but not in the places I usually shop. However I have some vague memories of eating it as a child and not being particularly fond of it. So when I encountered spaghetti squash at a farmers market recently I searched for a recipe that would really make me love it. This Southwestern stuffed spaghetti squash recipe hit the spot!

Spaghetti squash is fascinating because it looks a little like spaghetti when cooked. As you can see in the above photo, it does not look at all like spaghetti when uncooked.

I baked mine intending to make the Southwestern recipe that night. I got caught up with other things like hot cross buns, bathing Sylvia and watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. A quick curry sufficed. I forgot about the spaghetti squash in the oven. Oops!

The next night I had a well baked spaghetti squash and good intentions to try harder! I then made mistake after mistake. I misread the spices. It seemed lacking in flavour. Once I upped the seasoning, it was fine. (The below version of the recipe has the spices at what I think is a reasonable level for me.) I neglected to read I should discard the seeds and had to fish them out of the frypan when they looked wrong. I used a non-identified citrus fruit out of the fruit bowl that I hoped was a lime. I think it was.

Despite all my failings, the filling tasted great. The spaghetti squash flesh had the stringy look that gives it the name. The shell was rather crisp and unlike in the photos of the original recipe but I never intended to eat it. Black beans, corn and cheese make it quite substantial. I worried it might be a bit light on without grains or other carbs. Yet it was incredibly tasty and satisfying.

This was the perfect meal to make on Good Friday in the midst of a flurry of hot cross buns. I had had my fill of carbs and just needed some good hearty vegies. I am happy to say that I will gladly pick up spaghetti squash next time I see one. It was no hardship at all to eat half a medium squash.

I am sending this stuffed squash to Anneli at Delicieux for the Four Seasons Food April Challenge (an event she runs with Louisa of Eat Your Veg). The theme is Celebrate Vegetables. Anneli was inspired by Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. However there are lots of lovely vegies to be had here now that Autumn is upon us Down Under.

Cook spaghetti squash until soft. I cooked mine for over an hour because I forgot about it (recipe says 50 minutes at 190 C). Then I turned of the oven and left it in there. My shell was quite crisp. Cool so it is ok to handle (at least 30 minutes but overnight is fine). Spoon out and discard the seeds.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Fry onion, garlic, chilli and capsicum until onion is soft. Add cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and seasoning. Stir for 1 minute. Stir in black beans, corn, tofu bacon marinade and lime juice. Scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into the pan with a fork. (Don't throw out the shell.) Mix filling mixture with one handful of mozzarella and the spaghetti squash flesh until everything is well combined.

Spoon mixture into spaghetti squash shells, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese. Heat under the grill (5 to 15 minutes) until cheese is melted and golden brown in spots. Eat hot.

On the stereo:I don't feel at home in this world any more: Various Artists

15 comments:

I'm in the same boat, always seeing spaghetti squash on every blog I follow (not to mention in the cookbooks on my shelf) but never yet having made it for myself. Your Southwestern stuffed spaghetti squash looks like a great introduction. Tofu bacon (and any kind of vegan bacon) is another road I have yet to cross, and I don't know why because I certainly used to love bacon. Guess that's part of the problem with reading a ton of food blogs; you can't keep up with your own "want-to-make" list of recipes! Thanks for sharing this...fingers crossed I'll actually get around to trying it soon. :)

Thanks Molly - yes don't get me started on my wish list of things to cook - it just gets longer and longer and after 7 years of fairly regular blogging I feel I have barely scratched the surface. But I do highly recommend tofu bacon - it is one of our regular dishes because my little girl loves it and it is so great to throw in so many dishes. Hope you stumble across spaghetti squash some day but meanwhile good luck with making a few other wishlist recipes :-)

Me too, I always see spaghetti squash in recipes. The other day I picked up some plantains (sold as 'plantanas' here in a Bigfields grocery store), I see plantains everywhere too so hopefully today I'll get to use them.

Thanks Veganopoulous - plantains are another fruit I see more online but am not sure if I have seen them in the shops - I know I am more wary of these because I don't have a good sense of how they work - at least spaghetti squash tastes similar to other squashes even if the flesh looks slightly different

Oh, this has me excited! If spaghetti squash is in Victoria, surely there is a chance it will make it across to WA one day...I have searched high and low but never found it here. (Although, I suppose I should stop worrying about WA produce about now and start paying more attention to London!)

Your meal looks lovely and a great way to put to rest less positive childhood memories of the vegetable. I can just imagine the herbs, beans and tofu bacon marinade flavouring the squash underneath.

Thanks Kari - Somehow I feel you are more likely to find spaghetti squash in London than Perth but who knows you might get a farewell present from your home town. I still need to check with my mum about spaghetti squash and if she really did make it - but have never been overly excited about squashes served alone - though they are bland enough to make a great base for other dishes

Every now and then I see spaghetti squash in the shops but I've never actually bought one. I really must! I've always wondered how to cook them apart from using them as 'spaghetti'. I love how you stuffed them and yes, what a perfect recipe for Good Friday xx

Thanks Charlie - I did think of doing a more traditional spaghetti but was not that sure - this one was the one recipe I really loved - I generally love stuffed squashes so would like to try different stuffings. Perhaps a bolognaise stuffing would interest me more than just serving on the spaghetti squash flesh.

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Recipes and reflections in which our vegetarian heroine dreams of being tall and graceful as a giraffe; being a goddess in the kitchen; and being gladdened by green gadgets, green food and green politics because green is the colour of hope. See About Me for more info.